9.
What did those dispatched to
the north country accomplish? Zech.
6:8.
Nom.—Again, for an understanding of
the 'central objective of the vision it, is
not necessary that every detail_ of the pic-
ture be explained.
"The chariots 'which go _forth from
standing before the Lord of all the earth'
(Zech. 6:5) doubtless represent God's
agencies operating throughout the earth,
`silently, patiently working out the coun-
sels of His own will' (see Ed 173). The
delegation to the north country probably
symbolized the influence exerted upon the
rulers of the Persian realm to further the
work of God. It seemed at the time 'as if
the permission granted the Jews to rebuild
was about to be withdrawn' (PK 580).
The vision must have brought great en-
couragement to the disheartened builders,
for it gave them the assurance that the
mission to the north country would be
successful. 'These that go toward the north
country have quieted My Spirit in the north
country' (see on v. 8). Darius issued a new
decree shortly afterward, permitting the
work to go forward, encouraging the en-
terprise by public funds, and threatening
any who might oppose
it."—The Seventh-
day Adventist Bible Commentary,
on Zech.
6:6.
The Temple Completed
10.
Encouraged by the prophecies
of Haggai and Zechariah, what were
the elders of the Jews able to ac-
complish? Ezra 6:14, 15.
NOTE.—"The
rebuilding of the temple
from the time the foundation stone had
been laid a second time (Kislev 24, 2d
year ,of Darius) to its completion, had
therefore occupied about 4 years and 3
months, some 2 years and 3 months shorter
than it had taken Solomon to build his
temple. The reason for this difference
probably lies in the fact that Solomon had
first to prepare a flat surface on which to
erect the various buildings belonging to the
temple complex, a task of no small size.
Although the present substructures of the
temple area at Jerusalem date from Hero-
dian times or later, as far as they are
visible, they reveal the tremendous efforts
that must have been made by the early
builders to construct a foundation plat-
form on which the temple and its many
auxiliary buildings could be erected. When
the exiles returned they probably found
that- great parts of this substructure :were
still good enough to use without expensive,
time-consuming repair work: furthermore,
the buildings seem to haVe been less
-
elab-
orate and numerous than in Solomon's
time, and probably much less lavishly deco-
rated."—The
Seventh-day Adventist Bible
Commentary,
on Ezra 6:15.
11.
How was the completion of
the temple celebrated? Ezra 6:16, 17'.
12.
Whai feasts were Obserired
the
following months? Ezra 6:18-22.
NOTE.—"A
number of particularly solemn
Passovers were celebrated in Jewish his-
tory, and these were accorded special at-
tention by the writers of the Bible. Such
are the Passover celebrated by Hezekiah
after his cleansing of the temple (2 Chron.
30), and that celebrated by Josiah after
the completion of his reform (2 Chron. 35).
Both of these Passovers accompanied a
revival of temple worship after a period of
apostasy. Ezra places in the same category
the Passover following the dedication of
the new temple. This does not mean that
the exiles had not celebrated the Passover
prior to the year 515 B.c., since Ezra 3:5
contains the information that they observed
`all the set feasts of the Lord' as soon as
they arrived in their homeland. However,
this first Passover after the completion of
the building of the new temple marked
the full re-establishment of the regular
ordinances of religion, more or less inter-
rupted from the time of the destruction
of the first temple."—The
Seventh-day Ad-
ventist Bible Commentary,
on Ezra 6:19.
13.
How will the Lord enable us
to bring to completion the work of
grace in our spiritual temples? Phil.
1:6.
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